We chat to Offspring Community member Finn aka @finnsneakers

Tell us about yourself.

Hi everyone! My name is Finn, I was born in the UK but have lived in France for just over 20 years now. I currently work in a secondary school as a supervisor/school monitor and one of the best parts of my job is talking about the sneakers I wear with students.

How long have you been into sneakers and how did you get into them?

I guess I’ve been into sneakers for over 15 years, but I’ve been collecting them for about four and a half years. Sneakers have always been a huge part of self-expression for me and even when growing up. It didn’t matter what trousers, jumper or t-shirt I had on, the sneakers had to be special. In terms of collecting, the huge turning point would be when the Nike x Sacai LD Waffle came out.

I always thought that limited edition sneakers were out of my reach, that they were unobtainable and that you had to know someone or a special place to get them. I guess those shoes pushed me to find out more and that opened the door to a world that I had been searching for forever.

Do you have any early sneaker memory?

I have quite a few really, each having their own importance throughout my life. My first being when growing up I was a huge fan of Rooney and loved the Nike Total 90’s that he used to wear on the pitch and my mum got me a pair of the lifestyle pair that I would wear every day and feel like a pro when I was playing football in the playground.

I also must mention when I started secondary school and everyone was wearing Converse, I wanted a pair too. However, I wanted mine to be different to everyone else’s, so after many hours on researching I managed to find a pair of high-top Converse in Camo. There’s also the Supra period, but that’ll be for another day.

Do you have any sneaker regrets and what is your sneaker grail?

Not really, I guess there’s maybe one or two shoes I would like to still have in my collection, but I always tell myself that they made way for other pairs I absolutely love and that I can always buy them back one day if I really want them again. However, in terms of a sneaker grail that I don’t have, I think the Nike SB Dunk Gibson would be right up there.

But for a shoe I have, it would be between the Nike Sacai LD Waffle Pine Green or AJ1 Mid Chateau Rouge. The importance behind the latter pair being whilst on a trip to Paris with my partner, we stumbled upon an exposition of cultures from all around the world and whilst visiting the African Exposition, I wondered how you could mix culture with sneakers. Two months later the pair released, and the premise of the shoe was exactly about mixing culture and sneakers. Shoutout to the AM1 LDN’s too.

What sneakers are in your rotation currently?

I don’t have a rotation per se, I just look at my pairs and think about the one’s I haven’t worn in a while and wear them. Although I do tend to have themes, so at the moment with it being Air Max month recently, I’ve been wearing my TN’s and 1’s a lot.

Aside from sneakers what else are you into?

I really enjoy music, as soon as I can listen to it, I do. It’s an important part of who I am. I think it’s brilliant to help you relax, feel good, motivate you, reflect, etc. I also think that, like sneakers, music can mark defining periods in your life. I also play guitar, which probably explains the grail status of the Gibson Guitar SB Dunk. I also love running, although even if most of the shoes I own were made for it, I would never run in them.

What does the Offspring community mean to you?

It means so much. Initially I started out my ‘sneaker’ account as a way to not bother people on my personal account which I’ve had for years. But it became so much more, it has opened so many doors and has led to meeting some incredible people. The biggest element is how it has given me a place where I can share my passion with people who share it too. I get to talk about sneakers with people all over the world and see so many different tastes and interests, you never stop learning and that’s one of my favourite things about the culture and I thank the Offspring community so much for that.

Check out more from Finn on Instagram @finnsneakers